Rev. Kayla Bonewell was born in Oklahoma City. She earned a BA in Religion from Oklahoma City University (2002), a Master of Liberal Arts from Naropa University (2004), and a Master of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California (2008). Ordained in the United Church of Christ (2010), Kayla has ministry experience as a hospital chaplain, campus minister, social justice activist, youth minister, and associate pastor. Her personal mission statement is “To empower community, through experiences of the divine, to lead lives of deep meaning, while cultivating health, peace, and beauty in our world.” She is passionate about relevant worship, spiritual growth, and community engagement. Kayla is a member of the inaugural class of the UCC’s “Next Generation Leadership Initiative,” a 20-year focus on energizing and sustaining younger, emerging UCC local church pastors. She was awarded “Forty under 40 in Oklahoma City Leadership” in 2016, and received an “Oklahoma Human Rights” award from Amnesty International in 2018.